WEBVTT JASON: EARLIER THIS WEEK THE, KENNEDY FORUM HELD A NATIONALMENTAL HEALTH SUMMIT IN CHICAGO.MICHAEL PHELPS WAS ONE OF THESPEAKERS WHO TALKED ABOUT HISBATTLES WITH DEPRESSION ANDSUICIDAL THOUGHTS WHILE AT THEHEIGHT OF HIS CAREER.HE TALKED ABOUT HOW HE WAS ABLETO PICK HIMSELF UP AND GET WHATHE NEEDED.MICHAEL PHELPS: THOSE MOMENTSAND THOSE FEELINGS AND THOSEEMOTIONS, FOR ME, ARE LIGHTYEARS BETTER THAN EVER WINNINGAN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL.YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO SAVE ALIFE, AND THAT'S WAY MOREPOWERFUL. JASON: THAT SUMMIT IN CHICAGOFOCUSED ON DEPRESSION,ADDICTION, AND OTHER MENTALHEALTH ISSUES.JOINING ME NOW TO TALK ABOUTEFFORTS TO REMOVE THE STIGMAAROUND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH,JENNIFER BROWN, WITH THEANTI-STIGMA PROJECT.THANK YOU FOR COMING BY.FIRST, DESCRIBED THE PROJECT --DESCRIBE THE PROJECT.MS. BROWN: IT IS A COLLABORATIONBETWEEN THE HEALTHADMINISTRATION AND THE STATEWIDECONSUMER ADVOCACY ANDORGANIZATION -- AND EDUCATIONORGANIZATION.WE FOCUS ON THE STIGMA IN THEMENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM ITSELF,AND WE HAVE SYSTEMATICALLY KINDOF GROWN INTO A LARGER CIRCLE,INCLUDING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH,THOSE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKELAW ENFORCEMENT, EDUCATION, ANDIN THE LAST TWO YEARS WE HAVEESTABLISHED A PUBLIC EDUCATIONCAMPAIGN, GETTING PEOPLE TO TALKABOUT STIGMA, WHY IT HAPPENEDAND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.BECAUSE IT IS SUCH AN IMPACTFULISSUE.JASON: WE HEARD ALL THREEPROFESSIONALS TALK DURING THEROUNDTABLE ON STIGMA AND HOWPEOPLE HAVE NOT APPROACHED THEPROBLEM.WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF IT?MS. BROWN: I THOUGHT IT WAS ANEXCELLENT DISCUSSION AND IT WASGRATIFIED TO HEAR PEOPLE BRINGUP THE ISSUE OF STIGMA BECAUSEIT IS A PART THAT WE DO NOTREALLY THINK ABOUT.WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMSWITH ACCESS TO SERVICES ANDINSURANCE HURDLES AND THINGSLIKE THAT, BUT IF YOU THINKABOUT IT, WHY WOULD I WILLINGLYWANT TO PUT MYSELF IN A GROUP OFSHUNNED, AND WHY WOULD I WANT TODO THAT TO MYSELF?ESPECIALLY IF I AM PART OF AMARGINALIZED GROUP ANYWAY, FORWHATEVER REASON, WHY WILL I HADMORE STIGMA TO WHAT I AM ALREADYDEALING WITH.SO MAYBE I DECIDE NOT TO SEEKSERVICES.OR MAYBE I'VE HEARD THE MESSAGESFOR SO LONG THAT IT IS YOURFAULT, YOU HAVE DONE THIS TOYOURSELF, YOU ARE NOT WORTH ASMUCH AS OTHER PEOPLE.IF I INTERNALIZE THOSE MESSAGES,MAYBE I AM TAKING, WHAT IS THEPOINT?I DO NOT DESERVE TO GET HELP.THAT COULD BE ANOTHER REASON WHYPEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO SEEKSERVICES.JASON: TELL ME ABOUT YOURAPPROACH.YOU GO TO WORKSHOPS AND HAVEPEOPLE WITH DIFFERENTUPBRINGINGS AND EXPERIENCES, SOHOW DO YOU ARRIVE AT THE SAMEPOINT TO APPROACH SOMEONE WHENIT COMES TO THE BEHAVIORALHEALTH ISSUE?MS. BROWN: THE ISSUE WITHSTIGMA, WE ARE FOND OF CALLINGIT THE MATRIX FROM WHICH NO ONEIS EXEMPT, BECAUSE IT WILLIMPACT ALL OF US AND WE DO IT,NONE OF US GREW UP IN A VACUUM,SO WE DID GO UP WITHPRECONCEIVED IDEAS ABOUT A LOTOF THINGS.SO PART OF IT IS GETTING PEOPLETO TAKE A LOOK AT, WHAT ARE THEPRECONCEIVED IDEAS ABOUT THISPARTICULAR POPULATION, ABOUTTHIS PARTICULAR TOPIC.SO INSTEAD OF TELLING THEM THATTHEY ARE WRONG, TELLING THEMWHAT ATTITUDES OR BEHAVIORS THATTHEY ARE EXHIBITING, WE AREASKING A QUESTION, WHICH IS --WOULD KNOWING THAT SOMEBODY HASA BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DISORDERCHANGE THE WAY THAT YOU SEETHEM?AND ARE YOU SEEING THEM CLEARLY?MAYBE YOU ARE, MAYBE YOU ARENOT, WE ARE NOT TELLING YOU THATYOU ARE NOT, BUT WE ARE ASKINGPEOPLE TO STEP BACK AND SAY, DOI HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION, OR AMI MAKING SOME KIND OF DECISIONWITHOUT BENEFIT OF FACTS?RIGHT, WE HAVE ALL DONE THAT.JASON: 30 SECONDS LEFT.IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO LEARN MORE,WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO HAVE ITCOME OUT TO THEIR JOB?MR. BARAKA: TAKE A LOOK AT OURWEBSITE, DISTORTEDPERCEPTIONS.ORG, WE HAVERESOURCES AND INFORMATION AND WEARE HAPPY TO COME OUT.TAKING A LOOK AT OUR OWNPREJUDICES ON THE SURFACE DOESNOT SEEM LIKE A PLEASANT THING,BUT WE MAKE IT INTERESTING ANDWE MAKE A FUN, BELIEVE IT ORNOT.